Rheostat.



W. G GILLIG.

BHBOSTAT.

APPLICATION FILED I'BBJ, 1913. 1,064,722, Patented June 17, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WI GI RHEOSTAT.

APPLICATION FILED IBBJ, 1913.

1,064,722. Patented June 17,1913.

Z SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WILLIAM G. 'GILLIG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RHEOSTAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 1, 1913.

Patented June 17, 1913.

Serial No. 745,548.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. GILL-1G, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cook, State-ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inRhee-stats, of which the following is a specification;

This invention relates to that class of rheostats in which thestationary resistance element is of a circular form and comprises spiralwindings or convolutions of resistance wire upon a suitable insulatingwire or support, and a coacting movable contact element, the shifting ofwhich is adapted to introduce the required electrical resistance intothe circuit. And the present improvement has for its object to provide asimple and efficient structural formation and combination of partswhereby the usual frictional rubbing or rolling contact directly uponthe windings of the resistance wire is entirelyavoided and theconsequent injurious wear of said wire prevented, all as willhereinafter more fully appear.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1, is a top plan of a rheostatembodying the present improvements, the axial operating shaft beingshown in section. Fig. 2,isa bottom plan of the same. Fig. 3, is anaxial sectional elevation of the rheostat, showing the same mounted onthe front of its supporting board. Fig. 4, is a side elevation showingthe rheostat mounted on the rear of its supporting board.

Similar reference numerals indicate like parts-in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the usual supporting board uponwhich the rheostat and its usual accessories are mounted.

2 is the inclosingshell of the rheostat, preferably of the circular formas shown,

and which is attached to the supporting.

board 1, aforesaid, by means of a plurality of legs 3, which in thepresent improvement are pivoted at one end to the shell 2 midway itswidth as shown, and so that said legs may be swung to either end of theshell 2, to enable the same to be supported from either its front or itsrear end, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. Wit-h such construction aready mounting of the rheostat upon either the front or rear face of thesupporting board 1 is easily and convenicntly attained.

4 is a longitudinal rail of insulating material secured to one end ofthe inclosing shell 2, by attaching ears or brackets 5, and in diametricrelation to said shell, as shown.

'6 are binding posts disposed at one end of the rail 4 for connectionwith the line wires of the circuit, and having in turn con nections withthe hereinafter described resistance element and movable contact memher.

7 is a bracket support attached to the aforesaid longitudinal rail 4,and having a pair of insulating clamping jaws between which the abovementioned resistance element is clamped and held in properposition.

8 is the axially disposed operating'shaft of the present construction,supported at one end by a bearing orifice in the longitudinal rail 4,aforesaid, in connect-ion with a bearing yoke 9 secured to said rail asshown. In the specific construction shown in Fig. 3, said shaft isprovided with bearing collars 10, at opposite faces of the rail 4, toprevent endwise movement of the shaft. At its outer end the shaft 8 isprovided with a hand wheel 11, or other usual operatingmeans.

The stationary resistance element or member before referred to, ispreferably of a cylindrical form and disposed concentrically to the axisof the operating shaft 8, above described. Said resistance elementcomprises t-he usual ring shaped core 12 of insulating material, uponwhich the usual winding or convolutions of resistance wire 13 are woundin the usual spiral manner.

One end of the wire 13, is electrically con-- nected by a branch wire 14to one of the binding posts 6 before described, as illustrated in Figs.1 and 2, while the other end of said wire 13 is left unconnectedelectrically.

15, is a thin and flexible non-rotatable disk of metal or likeconducting material, loosely mounted on theoperating shaft 8, andsupported a short distance away from the above described stationaryresistance member by the bearing yoke 9 of said shaft. In the presentconstruction the disk 15 is adapted to be tilted by means hereinafterdescribed, so that different portions of its margin may be successivelybrought into electrical contact with successive portions of the windingsof resistance wire 13 in the operation of introducim a greater or lessextent of said resistance wire into the line circuit. In the preferredarrangement of sald disk, as illustrated 111 Fig. 3, the same 1s mountedin an insulated manner on lts ,before described central supports, and 1sslitted radially at its periphery to form a spring tongue 16, which inthe ordinary use of the rheostat is adapted to be forced against anunwound portion of the core 12 of the stationary resistance element, tobreak the circuit.

17 is a branch wire connecting the disk 15 to the other of the bindingposts of the apparatus.

18 is a radial arm pivoted on the operating shaft 8 in adjacent relationto the aforesaid disk 15, and carrying at its outer end av bearing shoeor rubber 19 that has hearing upon the disk 15, near the periphery ofthe same, and adapted to tilt or force the portion of said disk beneathsaid shoe or rubber into electrical contact with the adjacent portion ofthe windings of resistance wire 13, above described. The construction issuch that by a turning adjustment of the arm 18 and shoe or rubber 19,any desired extent of the resistance wire 13 can be introduced into theline circuit, without any rubbing or friction uponsaid wire, and theconsequent injurious wear of the same.

20 is a lateral arm fixedly secured tot-he shaft 8, in separatedrelation to the radial arm 18, and adapted to support an intermediatespring 21, by which said arm 18 and its shoe or rubber 19 is forced in adirection which causes a tilting of the adjacent marginal portion of thecontact disk 15 into electrical contact with an adjacent portion of theresistance winding aforesaid.

22 is a spider attached to the end of the inclosing shell 2, opposite tothat at which the insulating rail 4:, is attached.

23 is a stop pin or lug carried by the spider 22, and disposed in thepath of the radial arm 18 to stop thesame in a position in contact withthe spring tongue 16 of the contact disk 15-, heretofore described.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a rheostat, the combinationof a resistance wire formed into a series of 0011- volutions, a flexiblecontact member having its free margin in adjacent relation to suchconvolutions, and a movable pressure member adapted to force successiveportions of said contact member into contact with successive portions ofsaid convolutions.

2. In a rheostat, the combination of a resistance wire formed into aseries of convolutions and curved into a ring form, a nonrevolublecontact disk having its free margin in adjacent relation to saidconvolutions, and a shiftable pressure member adapted to forcesuccessive marginal portions of the disk into contact with successiveportions of said convolution.

3. In a rheostat, the combination of a resistance wire formed into aseries of convolutions and curved into a ring form, a non revolublecontact disk having its free margin in adjacent relation to saidconvolutions, and a shiftable pressure member adapted to forcesuccessive marginal portions of the disk'into contact with successiveportions of said 'convolutions, the said disk being slotted radially toform a spring tongue.

4. In a rheostat, the combination of an inclosing shell, a longitudinalrail of insulating material secured at one end of said shell, andcarrying the connecting wires of the apparatus, a ring shaped resistanceelement disposed axially in the inclosing shell, a non-revoluble andflexible contact disk having its free margin in adjacent relation to theaforesaid ring shaped resistance element, a centrally arranged operatingshaft, a radial spring impelled radial arm on said shaft, and a pressuremember on the outer end of said arm, bearing and sliding upon themarginal portion of the contact disk and adapted to force successivemarginal portions of the disk into contact with successive portions ofthe aforesaid ring shaped resistance element.

Signed at Chicago, Illinois, this 27th day of January, 1913.

WVILLIAM G. GILLIG.

Witnesses:

ROBERT BURNS, HENRY Mon.

